Fixing-box.



PATENTBD NOV. 8, l1904.

' H. D. GHIGHBSTBR.

FIXING BOX. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 1B. 1902. BENBWED 00T. 10. 1904.

NO MODEL.

Il! Hilllln.

.Fyfklrllllllll L A A sa. a* ggf Witnesses; l t 4 u a, D @MMA/H4* r d d' UNITED STATES Patented November 8, 1904.

PATENT OEEicE.

HENRY D. CHIOHESTER, OF WASHINGTON, yDISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FlxlNG-Box.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,308, dated November 8, 1904.

Application filed October 1S, 1902. Y Renewed October 10, 19011. Serial No. 227,836. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, HENRY D. CHroHEsrER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Y Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Fixing-Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to fixing-boxes for photographic dry-plates; and it consists in the improvements in th e construction and arrangement hereinafter described, and pointed Aout in the claims.

Figure l is an elevation of the fixing-box with the plate-holder elevated, parts being shown in section. vertical section of the box closed, taken on the line X X of Fig. l. one end portion of the box,` and Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a cross-section and an elevation of .the carrier.

' In the drawings, A represents the body of the box, preferably of rectangularform and provided with a cover B, hinged thereto and forming a tight closure therefor. The box is primarily designed to contain a liquid fixative and is composed of any material suit able for such purpose and constructed with water-tight lioints. Opposite end walls A of the box-body are each provided with a vertical groove c, extending from a point a suitable distance above the bottom of the box nearly to the top thereof, where it intersects a short transverse groove c', extending a short distance to either side of the groove a. From the forward end of said transverse groove a vertical groove c2 extends tothetop of the box. Thus the groove forms a long vertical guideway, having near its top a forward bend terminating at the upper edge of thebox and a rearwardly-extending recess as for purposes to bedescribed.

Pivotally secured to the ends of the cover B are varranged links C, connected at their free ends to a plate-carrier D. For compactvness I prefer to recess the edges of the cover,

as indicated at b, and also the ends of the platecarrier, as indicated at di so that the outer tive to the box.

Fig. Q is a longitudinal Fig. 3 is an elevation ofI .side faces'of the links are flush with the end faces of the cover and plate-carrier.

The plate-carrier D consists of a frame, preferably of wood, of a length substantially equal to the interior length of the box A and of a width slightly less than that of said box to permit lateral movement of the carrier rela- The end pieces ofthe holder are grooved, as at CZ, for the reception of the photographic plates, said grooves extending nearly to the bottom of the holder and terminating in shoulders d. For convenience of construction it is preferable to form the end pieces in two sections, as hereinshown, the Vgrooves extending from top to bottom of one section'and being closed at the bottom by a strip d2, secured thereto to form the necessary shoulders d to retain the plates in place. The bottom of the carrier is left entirely open, and its sides are preferably composed of longitudinally-arranged strips or other open-work as light as is consistent with the required strength. The plate-carrier` D is provided at its ends with pins or studs cl3, taking through a slot c in the links C to form a pivotal connection with the latter, and the pins extend into the grooves c in the walls of the box, as

best'shown in Fig. 2. It vwill thus be seen that the plate-carrier is capable of vertical lmovement relative to its containing-box and that through its linkconnection withthe cover thereof it will be elevated and depressed by said cover as the same is raised or lowered. The parts described are so proportioned that the range of movement of the plate-holder will be'slightly greater. than the width of the plate it is intended to receive.

The operation of my device is as follows: The box is partially filled with liquid fixative to a height sufficient to cover the plates contained in the carrier when the` latter is in lowermost position. The plates to be fixed are then arranged 1n the grooves in the carrier and the cover closed, depressing the carrier and immersing the plates in the fixing liquid, the open construction of the carrier exposing the plates to the liquid to the fullest possible extent. When the cover is raised, the plate-holder is lifted, its pin d3 following the guideway a until the transverse gi'oove a' is reached, when the cover having' passed beyond a vertical position the pins are drawn rearward into the recess o3 and the carrier suspended above the liquid in the box, the weight of the carrier and the cover serving' to retain the pins on their seats in the recesses and prevent the carrier from slipping back into the vertical guideway. The plates are thus presented to the operator for removal at his convenience. In this way a number of plates may be fixed simultaneously and a uniform treatment of the entire number assured. If itis desirable to remove the holder entirely from the box, it can be drawn forward along the transverse groove a and raised through the vertical groove a2 to entirely release the pins Z3 from engagement with the sides of the box. rlhe links C may then be separated sufficiently to allow the pins to be slipped out of the slots c and the holder removed.

While I have described my invention as relating to fixing-boxes for photographic dryplates, I do not intend thereby to limit myself to its use for this purpose alone, as boxes constructed in accordance with my invention 'may be used to advantage in developing by washing processes or when emptied of the liquid as storage receptacles for plates or the like.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A fixing-box for photog'raphic plates comprising a box-body adapted to contain a liquid, a cover movable relative thereto, a plate-carrier vertically movable within said box-body, a shiftable connection between the cover and the carrier actuated by the cover for raising said carrier, and means for suspending said carrier above the liquid, substantially as described.

2. A fixing-box for photog'raphic plates comprising a box-body, a cover movable relative thereto, an open plate-carrier vertically movable within said box-body, means actuated by the movement oit' the cover for elevating the carrier, and means carried by the carrier for retaining it in its elevated position, substantially as described.

3. A xing-box for photographic plates comprising a box-body adapted to contain a xative, a cover hinged thereto, a plate-carrier vertically movable within the box-body, and link connections between said carrier and cover whereby the opening of said cover elevates the carrier, substantially as described.

4. A fixing-box for photographic plates comprising a box-body adapted to contain a iixative, a cover movable relative thereto, a plate-carrier movable within said box-body, connections between said cover and carrier whereby the carrier is actuated by the movement of the cover, a guide for the carrier, and means on the carrier cooperating with said g'uide for holding the carrier in different positions of adjustment in said guide, substantially as described.

5. In a fixing-box for photographic plates, the combination of a box-bod y adapted to contain a fixative, guideways in the walls of the box-body, a cover hinged to said box-body, links pivotally secured at one end to said cover, and provid ed with openings in their iree ends, a plate-carrier arranged within the box and movable toward and from the iixative therein, and pins projecting from the carrier taking through the openings in the links and extending into the g'uideways, substantially as described.

6. In a ixing-box for photographic plates, the combination of a box-body having a guideway in its end, said guideway including a vertical portion, a, a recess, a3 near the upper end thereof, and an extended portion a2 terminating at the upper edge of the box, a cover, a plate-carrier,connections between said cover and carrier, and a pin projecting from said carrier and entering' the guideway, substantially as described.

7. In a iiXing-box for photog'raphic plates, the combination of a box-body, a cover therefor having recesses in the edges thereof, a plate-carrier arranged within said body and adapted to move vertically therein, said carrier having recesses in its ends, link connections between the cover and the carrier arranged in the recesses and capable of movement therein, substantially as described.

8. A receptacle for photographic plates comprising a casing, a rack adapted to receive the plates and movable in said casing, acover for the casing', and means movably associated with the cover and in engagement with the rack for shifting the rack when the cover is opened; substantially as described.

9. A receptacle for photog'raphic plates comprising' a casing, a rack adapted to receive the plates and movable in said casing, a cover for the casing, means associated with the cover and in engagement with the rack for shifting' the rack when the cover is opened, and coperating means between the rack and the casing for retaining' the rack in adjusted position; substantially as described.

10. A receptacle for photographic plates comprising' a casing, a rack having an open top through which the plates are inserted, said rack being movable in said casing, a cover for the casing, and means associated with the cover and in engagement with the rack for shifting the rack to project portions of the upper edges of the plates without the casing' when the cover isl opened; substantially as described.

11. A receptacle for photographic plates IOO IIO

comprising a casing, a rack having an open I rack for retaining the same in adjusted positop through which the plates are inserted, said tion;

rack being movable in said casing, a cover for the casing, means associated with the cover and in engagement with the rack for shifting the rack to project portions of the lupper edges of the plates Without the casing when the cover is opened; and means carried by the substantially as described. IO ln testimony Whereoil IaHX my signature in presence of two Witnesses. l HENRY D. CHICHESTER. Witnesses:

JOHN C. MARR, MINTERN S. BROWN. 

